Not Alone
by Bailee Rose
Summary: He didn't care about her, the same way he didn't care about anyone. He merely logged her existence in his superior brain and continued on with his life.


He'd seen her a few times, always in the corner of the orphanage's common room reading a book. She must've brought the book from home, he'd always think. One, because he'd never seen that particular book before- he had read everyone of the orphanage's books 3 or 4 times by this point- and two, because she undoubtably had a home.

She was the daughter of the local dentist, Mr. Granger, who would come to check and clean all the orphan's teeth once a summer. Occasionally she would accompany her father on his visits. She would sit down and read and not interact with anyone until her father would collect her a few hours later.

He didn't care about her, the same way he didn't care about anyone. He merely logged her existence in his superior brain and continued on with his life.

She was here today, he noted, as he walked across the common room to get to the queue that would be starting outside of Mrs. Cole's office. Instead of her usual desk and cabinets, the room today would house a big reclining chair and a table full of dentist equipment.

As usual, he was first outside the door. He could hear Mrs. Cole and Mr. Granger still moving things about and setting up for the work ahead. He wasn't particularly trying to eavesdrop but when he heard Mrs. Cole say his name, his brain automatically tuned into their conversation.

" -Tom Riddle?"

"Er, no actually, I can't say that I do particuluarly remember him." Mr. Granger replied.

"He's tall for his age, dark hair, dark eyes, very pale, very polite-"

"Ah yes! Tom! How could I not remember Tom!" He barked happily, "Quiet lad, but always such perfect teeth, especially, for an orphan! Barely have to do anything when I see him, he must brush 3 times a day!"

"I actually don't intend to talk his dental hygiene with you."

 _Oh here is comes_ , Tom thought. _She's going to warn him about me._

"I wanted to warn you about him." _Predictable_.

"I don't understand." Came Mr. Granger's hesitant voice.

"Well... Tom's always been a bit different; antisocial and solitary, but... even more frequently nasty things have been happening to children who bother him. We haven't been able to prove him guilty of anything..." and here she hesitated, "but just last week we went to the ocean, Tom and two others went to play in a cave but something happened. Both those children haven't said a word since AND are acting completely out of character! He did something to them."

"Oh pish posh!" Mr. Granger said. "Kids are kids! No adult can explain why they do the things they do! My daughter is a solitary creature too, and let me tell you, she is not only perfectly normal, but brilliant to boot!"

"Yes, but the other children-"

"When my daughter was 6 my wife and I were worried over her lack of friends and social skills so we took her to a playground. Some of the kids in her class were also there. They didn't even try to play with her, she was just sitting near the swings reading. Well, the biggest, meanest girl went over to my daughter, took her book, and made fun of her. I had never before seen my daughter so upset, but before my wife and I could get to her she yelled "Give me my book back you cow!" And would you be able to guess what happened? The bully instantly gave my daughter her book back, got down on her hands and knees, and started mooing!"

"I don't see how-" Mrs. Cole started to say.

"Let me finish." Mr. Granger went on, "Well at first everyone thought the bully girl was playing until the mooing persisted. Her parents tried to talk to her and she ignored them, started eating grass. Her father picked her right up and demand she stop, but she acted as if she couldn't see him, kept acting like a cow. Well, my poor girl runs up to us crying, claiming she did it, that she turned the girl into a cow. What bloody nonsense. As if anyone could do that."

"Half an hour later the girl snaps out of it, crying, claiming she had no idea what she was doing. Well, I'll tell ya what she was doing- she was trying to make my daughter feel bad. She was looking for attention. Kids do unexplainable, weird things. I'm sure these two you mentioned are in cahoots. Vows of silence and ill-acting to make Tom feel bad, to make you believe Tom is trouble. I bet they'll be right as rain soon, once they realize their ploy didn't garner the reaction they intended."

 _That's a sweet sentiment_ , thought Tom, _too bad it's complete rubbish_.

"That's a sweet sentiment." Mrs. Cole unknowingly echoed, "I hope you're right." She didn't sound hopeful at all.

"The mind's of children are complex and fascinating. I know first-hand from many crazy experiences with my own. Now, speaking of children, lets get to teeth cleaning."

Tom took a step back right as the door opened. He plastered his usual polite smile onto his face as Mrs. Cole jumped, put a hand to her heart, and exclaimed, "Tom!"

Before Tom could reply, Mr. Granger appeared over her shoulder, "Tom, my boy, we were just talking about you! Come, have a seat! I'm ready to be dazzled by your pearly whites, as always."

Mrs. Cole left to round up the other orphans as Tom was ushered into the patient chair. He was quiet as Mr. Granger affixed a bib to his shirt.

"Open up!" Said Mr. Granger happily, and Tom obeyed.

But, as Mr. Granger started to lean over Tom, Tom blurted out, "Did your daughter really think she turned the other girl into a cow?"

Mr. Granger leaned back, "You heard that, huh?"

Tom wordlessly nodded. Mr. Granger sighed and put his tools down.

"Yes. As a matter of fact, still to this day she claims she did it. Cannot be swayed. And honestly Tom, a lot of strange things happen around her, that incident at the playground is really just the tip of the iceberg."

As Mr. Granger trailed off in thought, Tom mentally berated himself. He didn't care about some stupid dentist's stupid daughter thinking she turned someone into a cow. How utterly stupid. He had no explanation for his brief intrigue, but now that he was back in his rational mind, he just wanted to get his check-up over with as fast as possible, like always. He was about to politely say as much to Mr. Granger, when the man seemed to come out of his reverie and continue where he'd left off.

"At 5 years-old her hair was just impossible to take care of. Simply unruly. And though she enjoyed her messy hair, her mother and I had it cut. My poor daughter cried and cried all the way home and all night long. Because, when shorter, her hair became even more bushy and she looked like a scruffy boy. After finally getting her to bed that night, my wife and I vowed never to make her cut it again. Well, we needn't have felt guilty though, because the next morning when our daughter woke up, it had all grown back. All 20 centimeters!"

"But, but that's impossible." Tom stammered.

"I thought so too, yet there we were. Her hair had grown back, all of it, she was so pleased. AND," he emphasized, continuing, "I kid you not, last year, she fell out of a tree and floated the whole way down. Swear on my life."

"She followed a stuck cat up, at least two stories, when the branch she was holding onto snapped. Well, she's screaming and I'm just praying she lands anywhere but her neck, when her decent is slowed! She fluttered the last few meters to the ground safely, as if she were nothing but a leaf."

"So let me tell you young man, no. No, I can't explain some of the mysterious things that seem to happen around my daughter. But if they save her life, I thank God she has them. And if the same type of thing happens to you it is not a curse, it is a blessing." He finished with conviction.

To say Tom was shocked would be an understatement. He was curious beyond all reason. He must study this girl.

"Now." Mr. Granger was back to business, "Enough chit chat, there are other kids who actually have cavities, you know."

After his check up, he thanked Mr. Granger politely, and tried not to rush out the door. As his hand reached the handle, Mr. Granger called to him, "Her name is Hermione, by the way. In case you wanted to say hullo."

Tom nodded and thanked him again, making his hasty exit. He thought he might have heard light chuckling as he left but he paid it no mind. Nor did he look at any of his fellow orphans all queued down the hall. He made straight for the common room.

He entered the room and there she was, tucked away in the back corner on an uncomfortable looking chair with a massive book in front of her face. All he could see were her tiny legs and her giant hair. They were the only two occupants of the room as all the orphans had lined up for their check-ups.

 _Perfect_ , he thought.

He turned to her and, without moving forward at all, tried to make her come to him. After 30 seconds of nothing, he loudly let out the breath he had been holding during his concentration. She didn't even look up- _she never looks up_ \- some part of his brain told him, making him realize he subconsciously studied her more than he thought. With new resolve he tried again. Stared harder, concentrated harder-

"I'm not going to come to you." A tiny voice spoke up from behind the book. "I can feel that you want me to... that you're compelling me to you, but..." She paused as if searching for the right words to attach to her feelings, "I'm at a very interesting part of my reading so whatever you want will just have to wait."

Tom was dumbfounded. Completely brainless for a full 5 seconds. Not only had no one in his life ever resisted his command, no one had ever known he was commanding them. He was awed, he was shocked, and he was quickly becoming very angry that this girl chose her book over him.

He extended his hand, and in his frustration her book shot out of her hands then slowed smoothly into his awaiting one. The look on her face was priceless.

It took a full 10 seconds for her to lower her hands from where they were now grasping air, and 10 more seconds for her to close her shocked mouth. As Tom finally took in her face for the first time- brown eyes, freckles, slightly too-big teeth- he felt a smug smile adorn his face.

She recovered slow, knit her eyebrows in thought. She didn't speak at all as she slowly stood up. Then, just as slowly, she extended both her hands.

Tom was about to laugh when he felt the book give a little shake. His smug smile instantly gone, he looked down at the quivering book, then back up to the girl. She was shaking slightly, he could see sweat collecting on her forehead as she stared determinately at the book.

Then, as Tom saw her already scrunched eyes scrunch a fraction more, the book was violently pulled from his hand and zoomed into hers, nearly knocking her over.

As she was heaving giant lungfuls of air, her face morphed into the biggest smile Tom had ever seen anyone give him. And then he was right in front of her, as if she had called him along with the book. He rose his shaking hands to both sides of her panting face.

As he cupped her cheeks, she smiled back at him. At last she whispered, "What are we?"

He exhaled and gave her the first real smile he could ever remember giving another person.

"Amazing." He told her just as quietly. "We are amazing."


End file.
